The disclosed subject matter relates to vehicular communications networks and methods of use and manufacture thereof. In particular, some embodiments relate to methods and apparatus for generating, transmitting, and/or receiving data along a vehicular communications network relating to a vehicle's location and/or path or route of travel.
Various conditions may be relevant to a vehicle's travel along a path or route. For example, in the context of vehicles that travel over land, such as an automobile configured for travel along a road, a vast array of circumstances may arise that can affect or otherwise be relevant to the vehicle's travel. An entity, such as another vehicle, pedestrian, bicyclist, etc., may move to a location immediately in front of the vehicle on the road, causing the vehicle to contact the entity unless the vehicle stops, changes course, etc. As another example, other types of circumstances may arise making it preferable to change the vehicle's path or route of travel, such as to enable the vehicle to arrive at a certain destination more safely, quickly, efficiently, etc. Changing traffic patterns may make a vehicle's current path of travel more congested, and thus a different path may be preferable.
Vehicles may be provided with methods and apparatus for addressing the above conditions. For example, sensors can be mounted on vehicles to detect entities currently disposed in the vehicle's immediate path of travel for the purpose of warning the vehicle's operator to take action to avoid crashing into the entity. Vehicular operators may also utilize global positioning systems (GPSs) to determine currently effective routes of travel, and even modify these routes based on changing traffic conditions. In other words, current conditions can be monitored for the purpose of benefiting vehicular operators.